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The Prize Beneath the Salt

The subsalt play in the northern Gulf of Mexico extends basinward across a wide expanse of the outer Continental Shelf and Slope of the western and central US Gulf Coast. E&P companies are exploiting this play by drilling structures lying between salt masses or beneath salt canopies. Originally targeting horizons of Miocene through Pleistocene age, some operators are now exploring deeper sands of the Lower Tertiary.

Shooting Seismic Surveys in Circles

Surveys that record data from raypaths in a wide range of directions deliver better illumination of the subsurface than conventional marine 3D seismic surveys, which record data primarily from one direction. A new technique uses a vessel sailing in continuously linked circles to record these wideranging raypaths efficiently. This article reviews the new technique and its considerable potential for addressing imaging challenges in complex geological settings.

Meeting the Subsalt Challenge

At one time, operators studiously avoided drilling through salt sections. Today, through innovation and experience, drillers have learned to routinely drill vertical and directional wells through extremely thick salt sheets on their way to the hydrocarbon-rich reservoirs beneath them.

High-Pressure, High-Temperature Technologies

Scientists and engineers push the limits of chemistry and materials science to meet the challenges associated with highpressure, high-temperature (HPHT) wells. This article surveys technologies and materials developed for successful HPHT drilling, formation evaluation, well construction, stimulation, production and surveillance. Case studies illustrate how engineers contend with these difficult conditions.